How to remove metadata from Word document (using OLE)

[Kevin Smith 0]

Hello,

I'm trying to remove Word metadata using OLE. I can remove Author but I can't remove "Last author". I use following code:

  vEditor:= CreateOleObject('Word.Application');
  vEditor.Visible:=True;
  vDoc:= vEditor.Documents.Open('sample.docx');
  vDoc.BuiltInDocumentProperties.Item['Author']):= '';//It works!
  vDoc.BuiltInDocumentProperties.Item['Last Author']):= '';//It doesn't work
  vDoc.Save;
  vDoc.Close;
  vEditor.Quit;

I hope you have some experience with such a task and you can help me.

If there is other solution than using OLE please also give me an info.

 

[PeterBelow 238]

5 minutes ago, Kevin Smith said:

Hello,

I'm trying to remove Word metadata using OLE. I can remove Author but I can't remove "Last author". I use following code:

  vEditor:= CreateOleObject('Word.Application');
  vEditor.Visible:=True;
  vDoc:= vEditor.Documents.Open('sample.docx');
  vDoc.BuiltInDocumentProperties.Item['Author']):= '';//It works!
  vDoc.BuiltInDocumentProperties.Item['Last Author']):= '';//It doesn't work
  vDoc.Save;
  vDoc.Close;
  vEditor.Quit;

I hope you have some experience with such a task and you can help me.

If there is other solution than using OLE please also give me an info.

 

Isn't the Last Author set when the file is saved? That would simply undo your change...

[Kevin Smith 0]

Quote

Isn't the Last Author set when the file is saved? That would simply undo your change...

Yes it looks like. Do you know how I can get rid of "Last author" property ?

Edited March 7, 2023 by Kevin Smith

[Lajos Juhász 293]

I believe you would have to do that in Word:

 

(WINDOWS) Microsoft Word 2010, 2013, 2016:

1. Go to “File”
2. Select “Info”
3. Click on “Check for issues”
4. Click on “Inspect document”
5. In the “Document Inspector” dialog box, select the check boxes to choose the types of hidden content that you want to be inspected.
6. Click “Remove All”
7. Click “Close”
8. Save the document.

 

[David Heffernan 2345]

Process the XML directly. Should actually be a really easy job for a SAX based processor. Even better, you don't need any COM automation of Word. If you need to do this in your product then I guess Delphi is best. If it's a helper script for personal use I'd do it in Python or similar.

Edited March 7, 2023 by David Heffernan